Most health and fitness experts believe that calisthenics have a stronger longevity factor than muscles earned by using traditional weight and resistance training. Individuals who perform calisthenic exercises possess leaner, toner, and more attractive muscles than the puffed up muscular look one gets from doing heavy weight training. These movements utilize your own body weight, and put minimum stress on your joints (if done correctly).

An example of these exercises are the pushups. These can be done in various formations, and the stronger you get, the more fun they become because you will start to add difficulty factosr, such as a medicine ball or even a one armed pushups (yes, like Demi Moore in G.I. Jane), but don't get too ahead of yourself so fast! . Start by using both hands/arms on the floor. Lie facing the floor, tuck your elbows to your sides(make sure they do not flare outward because that puts undue stress on the fragile rotator cuff muscles), make sure your hands are placed on mid-chest line on your sides. Push up with all your might. On the top position, hold for about one second, then repeat! Do your most possible repetitions. I do not believe in maximum count for the number of reps for these, so if you can do 50 at a time, go for it. Then go ahead and do a set of your weight routine. Once that is done, head back and do another set of these.

Another form of Calisthenics is the pull ups. Indeed they are hard to do. If you are not strong enough to pull your own body, try doing these on the Gravitron machine at the gym (if available). If no machine, try to have a partner spot you by standing behind you, hands aroound your waist area. These are done by holding onto a pull-up bar, wide grip. If you are a beginner, your palms should be in an underhanded position, and your grip not to wide. The movement is simple: Pull your body upwards until your chin reaches the bar. Once up there, hold for about 2 seconds, hen return to your starting position slowly. repeat the movement without flailing your legs or swinging. If you break your form, you should stop and take a small brek before you do this again.

It's important to mention that if you feel any pain in any joint during any of these exercises, you should stop immediately and consult with our doctor. You sould also remember that ther's a difference between the sweet, burning sensation that yu feel in your muscls when you exercise, and joint pain. The former is a normal sensation that is sought after by most fitness people, but thelatter is the biggest no no in the fitness world. Joint pain during exercise can lead to further injury and needs to be dealt with first before doing the exercises.

There are many more calisthenic movements and exercises that are as beneficial and fun to do. You will see a leaner, stroner, and more define arms, pecks, and a radiant muscle tone!

We all agree that we should eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise for a leaner look and to avoid any health complications. It is imperative for a healthy person to use those two approaches to have a good quality of life. Based on personal experience with so many clients I have worked with throughout the years, I have seen many of them get very anxious about their weight that they make it a habbit to step on their home scale almost daily. For most, it creates a feeling of anxiety and depression if they don't see any negatives on the dial! If you can relate to that, then this article is for you. I have a different approach to this: Once you choose a good fitness trainer who will guide you in your exercise and nutritional choices, the emphasys should always be on what makes you feel good and comfortable in your own skin. Granted, a personal trainers guidance and coaching can be an invaluable tool for measuring your improvements, not to mention your success! But, it is imperative that you work on the mind first by getting rid of old habits, such as stepping on the scale frequently. I prohibit my clients from doing it and I assume that responsibility. It is amazing how fast they drop the extra body-fat, and work on improving their fitness level and the ability to exercise and change their food choices. An additional bonus is the disappearance of that stress created by the frustrations and the feeling if disappointment once they step on their own scale, not to mention an amazing improvement of their overall health and fitness and reaching their personal goals.

Exercise can help ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but it is important to take certain precautions if you want your exercise program to be successful. The most important thing to remember is to not overdo it. Forget about trying to go for the gold, because over-exhaustion can lead to negative effects for someone with MS! You may have heard the mottos "stretch till it hurts" or "feel the burn," but those approaches are counterproductive for people with MS. If you overdo it you can end up straining an already compromised muscular system, increasing pain and causing your body and mind to become overstressed, overworked, and overtired.
Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Your care health care provider may make recommendations abou tthe types of exercise best suited to you and those which you should avoid, the intensity of the workout, how hard you should be working, and the duration of your workout and any physical limitations, referrals to other professionals, such as a physical therapists, and/or a certified fitness trainer who can help create a personal exercise program that meets your needs. Finally, the type of exercise that works best for you depends on your symptoms, fitness level, and overall health.
· If you plan to workout for 30 minutes, start with 10-15 minute workout sessions and work your way up.
· Workout in a safe environment; avoid slippery floors, poor lighting, throw rugs, and other potential tripping hazards.
· If you have difficulty balancing, exercise within reach of a grab bar or rail. In fact, avid doing any balance exercises on your own.
· If at any time you feel sick or you begin to hurt, STOP.
· Select an activity that you enjoy and HAVE FUN! Water aerobics, swimming, tai chi, and yoga are examples of exercises that often work well for people with MS. Hiking ca be a great activity for those who love the outdoors. However,
some people with MS are sensitive to heat, which means they notice that their symptoms either reappear or become worse when their body heat rises. This will happen when you exercise. Here are some tips to avoid overheating.
· Don't do any exercise during the hot time of the day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Try to exercise in the morning or evening if you are exercising outside.
· Drink plenty of cool fluids.
· Become aware of your body. If you notice any symptoms that you didn't have before you began exercising, then slow down or stop exercising until you cool down.
· Swimming and water aerobics are good exercise options to keep you cool while exercising. Also, make sure that there are non-slip floors in the locker room and around the pool.
If you have MS and have any questions, please contact me and I will help design a great workout regimen for you.
Good luck.
Marques Garcia
www.thepowersourcefitness.com

This is an awesome question asked by a client. Kids should be taught and influenced by their parents to become physically active on an early age, as early as 2 years old. However, age appropriate exercises are paramount for each age: From 2 to 8, the emphasis should be on playing more than sports. Anything from climbing, swings, slides, and any gentle jumping activities should be encouraged. At this age, I would completely avoid any weights (such as dumbbells or even any resistance machines), since that would put undue stress on the kids' unfinished bone/joint growth and it can lead to medical issues. From age 8 to 13, the emphasis should be on light cardio (such as light jogging) or rope jumping, calisthenics (such as pushups, sit ups, squats, and light sports (if your kid in a sports program such as football or track and field, he should be supervised by a trained/licensed strength and conditioning coach). From age 13 to 18, I would begin to introduce light weight training, such as dumbbells and light resistance exercises, sports, and even encourage him/her to eat right and to observe his proper nutrition and enroll him/her in a sports program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: There's no doubt that an early focus on your child's physiological developement can be paramount if they decide to adopt an athletic acreer as young adults. It's always great to start learning these fundamentals early.

Please remember before you start any exercise regimen, you MUST be approved to exercise by your doctor, and subsequently supervised by a health professional and at a minimum by a ACSM professional if you went through a cardiac or any CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) procedure. Typically, patients are asked to start slow, and a long-term (within 3 to 6 months) a comperhensive cardiovascular regimen is devised to get them to 80% to 85% % of their maximum heart rate to be reached in one sesson. The begining recommonded heart rate would range from 45% to 75% exertion over 5 to 10 minutes period, with interval periods of 1 to 2 minutes in between. This would gradually be raised as the patient's health and fitness level improves, till the desired HR is acheivd. or more detaild info, please contact me."

Every movements we do comes from our core. Our core works as the gyroscope to keep us balanced in our daily movements. If our upper and lower body is strong, but the core is weak, we are very vulnerable to a host of problems, the biggest of which is injury. Low back pain, bulging stomachs, loose gluteals, and large “love-handles” are strong signs that signal the need for core training.Many people mistake abdominal muscles as the core! In fact, the abs are but a small part of many muscle groups in the core. These muscles are: The Gluteus Maximus, Minimus, and Medius, Quadratus Lumborum, External and Internal Obliques, Tranversus and Rectus Abdominis, Pyramidialis, Erector Spinae Group, Diaphragm, Lateral Rotators of the Hip Joint, Illiopsoas, and others.Yes. In fact, there are billions of receptors involved in balance during movement and these are connected to the muscles of the core. When these nerves and receptors are “idle”, the possibility for injury increases ten folds.My training philosophy is simple. I apply functional, dynamic movements that moves the body in all three planes of motions: back to front, side to side, and rotational movements. I apply gradual training techniques that uses balance disks, fit/core ball, medicine ball, thera bands, and small apparatus to add resistance and strength to the core. What makes it even more fun. There’s no age limit when it comes to strengthening your core.Marques Garciawww.thepowersourcefitness.com

Marques Garcia is a nationally certified personal trainer who works with people from all aspects of life, physical capabilities, and age ranges. He stays at the top of his profession by continually attending seminars and hands-on workshops, and by staying in top physical shape. Marques’ commitment to his continuing education ensures that all his clients have access to the most up-to-date techniques and strategies that will help achieve maximum success.
Marques’ personal training philosophy is to use a dynamic functional training approach to help his clients obtain optimum success in all areas of health, nutrition, and fitness. His over 20 years of experience sets him apart, best demonstrated through his consistent, mindful approach and the his continuous search for state of the art techniques to help optimise results for his clients.
Marques is also a personal trainers’ trainer and coach. He holds seminars, workshops, and clinics to improve his fellow trainers’ skills and abilities through hands-on settings. He relishes sharing his experence, knowledge and state-of-the-art techniques with fellow trainers in order to improve their skills and to transform into superstars, instead of a dime a dozen trainers!
His credentials include:
Master's Degree in Sports Sciences (with emphasis on a sports medicine’s approach to corrective training) Certified with the American College of Sports Medicine, The National Academy of Sports Medicine, and American Council on Exercise
Member of various sports organizations and actively involved in the community through volunteering services and programs that lends a helping hand to those in need